Patents Represented by Law Firm Jeffers, Hoffman & Niewyk
  • Patent number: 5044130
    Abstract: An ice breaker which is attachable to the top surface of an inclined roof having a V-shaped front edge which lifts and retains the leading edge of a sheet of ice which slides down an inclined roof. The V-shaped edge shears the ice upon further downward movement. The ice breaker further includes a wing with a tapered front portion that acts to shear a sheet of ice that is moving too fast to be retained in the V-shaped portion. The outwardly extending sides of the wing aid in securing a sheet of ice that is already retained in the V-shaped front edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Inventor: Lonnel O. Chiddister
  • Patent number: 5044511
    Abstract: A thin walled membrane type diaphragm particularly for liquid pressure accumulators and a method of production is disclosed comprising membrane made from rubber, synthetic rubber, P.V.C. or like suitable material including a neck portion forming the opening of the diaphragm and adapted to be mounted in the neck of a pressure tank and a closed tank region or body region which is formed from cruciform pleats which may be symmetrical such that the dimension of the body portion is reduced for a given volume of body region.The moulding of the diaphragm in this form enables a diaphragm of greater internal capacity to be moulded in a given sized injection moulding such that the core size of the moulding machine can be readily removed through the base region of the diaphragm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Davey Products Pty. Ltd.
    Inventor: Hugh McDonald
  • Patent number: 5044068
    Abstract: An apparatus for inserting coils and wedges into the stator core of an electric motor. The apparatus includes a plurality of elongated blades arranged in a circular array, a plurality of wedge guides arranged in a circular array, and a stripper. Additionally, a wedge guide support is provided which moves axially together with the blades and which supports the wedge guides when coils are inserted into a long stator core. The wedge guide support prevents deflection of the wedge guides radially inward by pressure of the coil end turns on the wedge guides when the blade pack is axially moved out of the wedge guides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Advanced Machine and Tool Corporation
    Inventor: Keith A. Witwer
  • Patent number: 5045183
    Abstract: The rotor of a sorter has a circumference which, in cross section perpendicular to the rotor axis of rotation, is essentially composed of circular arcs. Depending on sorter size, the number of circular arcs amounts to between two and eight. The eccentricity of the circular arcs relative to their center, based on the rotor axis of rotation, amounts to preferably between 4 and 10 mm. This makes it possible to obtain slight rotor stresses at a good sorting efficacy, preferably also with a mean substance density of more than 3% of fiber suspensions. The difference between the smallest and greatest rotor spacing e=f.sub.max -f.sub.min amounts to maximally 60 mm, preferably 20 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: J. M. Voith GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Schweiss, Reimund Rienecker
  • Patent number: 5044904
    Abstract: A scroll-type hermetic compressor is disclosed including within a hermetically sealed housing a fixed scroll member assembly, an orbiting scroll member assembly, a frame member, and a crankshaft. The fixed and orbiting scroll member assemblies each include a separately formed involute wrap member interconnected with a plate member by means of a plurality of pin members received within corresponding axial bores in the wrap member and plate member, respectively. The plate member of the fixed scroll member assembly is mounted to the frame member, while the plate member of the orbiting scroll member assembly is mounted to a drive hub member operably coupled to the crankshaft. In one embodiment, the interconnecting pin members fit loosely within the bores in the wrap member such that the wrap member is movable with respect to the plate member, thereby providing radial compliance between the fixed and orbiting scroll member assemblies during compressor operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Tecumseh Products Company
    Inventor: Hubert Richardson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5045153
    Abstract: A double screen former for the manufacture of a paper web has two continuous screens forming together a double screen zone. The one screen runs in the double screen zone across rigid laths that are arranged on the dewatering box at a mutual spacing. Additionally, the other screen runs in the double screen zone across several laths which are supported by means of flexible elements and can be forced on the screen at a selective force. The space between the flexibly supported laths is at least approximately twice as large as the space between the rigid laths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: J. M. Voith GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Peter Sollinger, Rudolf Buck, Dieter Egelhof, Hubert Polifke
  • Patent number: 5044704
    Abstract: An adjustable refrigerator crisper drawer structure including a frame having three discrete locations for removable drawer support members. Thus the drawer support members may be located at discrete locations to accommodate various drawer sizes. One end of the drawer support member is locked to the support frame. The other end is slideably received in the support frame. Two rigid rails are provided for reinforcing the support frame. The rails are secured to the front and rear members of the frame and respectively support the front and rear portions of the drawer support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Marc R. Bussan, Ronald K. Hupfer, Marion J. Weis
  • Patent number: 5042867
    Abstract: A sunshade assembly, and method of manufacturing same, including an inner core board, a self-contained extender assembly mounted to the core board, and an outer covering. The extender assembly includes a plastic channel member attached to the core board by heat staking, and an extender blade slidingly received within the channel member between a retracted position and an extended position. The handle end of the extender blade extends through an access opening in the outer covering and includes a handle portion that, in the retracted position of the extender blade, wraps around and frictionally engages the peripheral edge of the outer covering, thereby making the handle visible and easily grasped from both sides of the sunshade assembly. The channel member includes upper and lower tracks between which the blade is slidingly retained. The tracks include fingers that are resiliently biased against the blade to provide friction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1991
    Assignee: Crotty Corporation
    Inventors: Willard E. Crotty, III, Richard D. Hood, Don M. Peterson
  • Patent number: 5040257
    Abstract: A conveyance loading apparatus for conveying passengers to and from an aircraft. The apparatus includes an elevated chamber with a sidewall structure. The sidewall structure includes a plurality of access openings so that passengers can enter and exit the chamber. One or more covered stairways are connected to one or more of the access openings for enabling passengers to have access to the chamber from ground level. The elevated chamber can be aligned with the open end of a conventional aircraft loading bridge. One or more covered stairways are connected to respective access openings for enabling passengers to have access to the chamber from ground level. A covered walkway is connected to a stairway at ground level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1991
    Inventor: Carl I. Bentz
  • Patent number: 5040576
    Abstract: A device for mounting in a fuel dispensing hose that has a flexible inner tube defining the fuel conduit, and a tubular outer sleeve that defines with the inner tube an annular vapor return passage. The device includes a venturi section adapted for serial connection with the inner tube within the outer sleeve. The section comprises a cylindrical block that connects at each end with an end of the inner tube and defines a venturi forming part of the fuel conduit. The block also has an aspirator means that defines at least two radial ports communicating between the venturi throat and the annular vapor passage. Each radial port has a check valve to block fuel flow from the fuel conduit to the vapor passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1991
    Assignee: Tokheim Corporation
    Inventor: Warren P. Faeth
  • Patent number: 5040670
    Abstract: A tortilla making machine conveyor includes an endless belt adapted to be moved about an endless path by a rotatable drive roller. The belt is composed of elongated narrow boards and pivotal hinges. The boards are planar in cross-section, disposed in side-by-side relation to one another and extend in transverse relation to the path along which the belt is capable of being moved. The pivotal hinges extend in bridging relation across, and are attached to respective adjacent pairs of, the boards on interior sides thereof. Each hinge along adjacent edge portions of the pairs of boards has pivotally connected portions which project inwardly from the interior surface of the belt. The drive roller receives the endless belt in an entrained relation about it and has a series of drive teeth or cogs defined in spaced relation about its exterior periphery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1991
    Inventor: Fausto C. Mendoza
  • Patent number: 5038577
    Abstract: The present invention is an air conditioning unit with indoor and outdoor heat exchanger coils and a pair of dual tangential flow blowers. Air flow is induced through the coils at a uniform rate and exhausted through an outlet. A single scroll dividing wall divides the housing of the air conditioner into indoor and outdoor compartments. The air-conditioning unit has a relatively small depth because the blowers are positioned in vertical alignment. The air intake arrangement on the indoor side is an intended, recessed portion of the cabinet. A removable louvered cover is positioned in an aperture located in the indented, recessed portion for allowing access to the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1991
    Assignee: Inter-City Products Corporation (USA)
    Inventor: Robert G. Stanford
  • Patent number: 5039828
    Abstract: A wire harness protector for use in an appliance. The wire harness protector consists of two members. A first member is secured to the door so as to pivot therewith. A second member is also secured to the door but remains stationary when the door is pivoted. Thus, when the door is pivoted, the second member is fixed relative to the door support structure and the first member pivots with the door. Both the first member and the second member include conduits which are aligned with the hinge axis of the door. Each of the first and second members forms an enclosure for enclosing and routing the wire harness. The conduits are formed by U-shaped channels and covers therefor. The covers are held in place by means of locking snaps. The entire first and second members may each be formed in a single integral molding process from a thermosplastic material such as a fire retardant polypropylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1991
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Larry D. Marks, Raymond W. Spiegel, Delbert M. Halling
  • Patent number: 5038971
    Abstract: The present invention is a variable blending dispenser for fluids, particularly for fuel dispensers. The dispenser controls variable valves according to volumetric data observed by flow meters on input lines to the dispenser, by calculating measuring error as the difference between desired blend ratio and the observed blend ratio calculated from volumes of blend components dispensed. The dispenser successively corrects the settings of the valves after dispensing predetermined volumes, the corrections determined by a volume based PID error function so that the total amount of each blend component is separately and accurately measured while providing the desired blend ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1991
    Assignee: Tokheim Corporation
    Inventors: Donald K. Gayer, Ronald H. Barbee
  • Patent number: 5039285
    Abstract: The present invention is an improved lubrication system for a connecting rod, wrist pin, and piston of a compressor. An oil pump pumps lubricating oil upwardly within an axial bore of the crankshaft, which includes a radial passageway in alignment with the connecting rod. The connecting rod includes ports which direct pulses of oil onto the inner surfaces of the piston. The ports are separated by barrier segments to allow local oil pressure to build between the sequential alignments of the passageway and a port. Thus, pulses of oil are accurately sprayed onto the piston inner surfaces without substantially diminishing the lubrication of the journal bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1991
    Assignee: Tecumseh Products Company
    Inventor: Robert A. Lindstrom
  • Patent number: 5039849
    Abstract: A card conveying structure for card accessing devices, comprising: a casing defining a card inlet and a card guideway; a drive pulley and a driven pulley supported on one side of the card guideway by a first pivot axis and a second pivot axis, respectively, defining a zero or small angle relative to a vertical line perpendicular to a major surface of a card guided by the guideway; and an endless belt passed around the two pulleys, effective diameters of the first and second pulleys being selected in relation with spacings of the pivot axes relative to the card guideway so that a linear span ofthe belt may extend along the guideway and abut the major surface of the card. By urging the linear span of the belt against the card, the card may be conveyed by the movement of the belt. Alternatively, by slanting at least one of the pulleys towards the guideway until its periphery or the belt passed around it comes into contact with the card, the movement of the belt or the pulley can be transmitted to the card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1991
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Tano, Norio Kawashima
  • Patent number: 5038455
    Abstract: Method of manufacturing a tube coupling body in a plastics material using injection moulding tooling. The body is formed with a cylindrical bore having enlarged end portions in a mould body and using removable cores. The cores form both the internal bore of the mould body and also end parts of the mould body so that once the cores are removed, end parts of the coupling body are revealed in the mould. While the end parts are still hot from the initial moulding operation, forming dies having tapering end cavities are pressed over the end parts of the moulding to form the end parts of the moulding with both external and corresponding internal tapered surfaces. The tapered internal surfaces of the end parts thus formed provide tapered cam surfaces for engaging the resilient arms of collets to be inserted in the coupling body to receive and lock tubes in the coupling body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1991
    Inventor: John D. Guest
  • Patent number: 5037770
    Abstract: In a field effect transistor, nonalloyed ohmic source-drain contacts (7, 8) are made possible, as the channel layer (3) is coated with lanthanide-arsenide which serves as contact-mediating layer and is covered with a very thin, conducting, monocrystalline, epitactic gallium-arsenide layer (10) on which nickel (11) is vaporized, an alloying step being dispensed with.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1991
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventor: Peter Wennekers
  • Patent number: 5035050
    Abstract: A discharge valve assembly, comprising a reed valve and an overlying valve retainer, is cantilever mounted on the axially outer surfaces of cast iron main and outboard bearings of a rotary vane compressor. Each valve assembly includes a round mounting end having an off-center hole extending through the valve and retainer, and an opposite end associated with opening and closing a discharge port extending through the bearing. The mounting end fits within a counterbore on the outer bearing surface and is retained therein by means of a rivet or the like through the off-center hole. The valve assembly is prevented from rotating about the rivet by the sidewall of the counterbore to maintain proper orientation of the valve and retainer so that they precisely cover the discharge port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1991
    Assignee: Tecumseh Products Company
    Inventor: Russell A. Cowen
  • Patent number: D319839
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1991
    Inventor: Sisira Ranasinghe